THIS WEEK IN 1979: Miracle athletes ready for Olympics

A group of miracle athletes took to the training grounds at Gosport in their final preparation for the Transplant Olympics that was held in Portsmouth.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Aug 2017, 07:00 BST

Updated 12th Sep 2017, 11:30 BST

jpns-12-08-17 retro 2017

Transplant - The St Mary's Hospital team undergoing pulse and blood pressure tests after a training session — jpns-12-08-17 retro 2017 Transplant - The St Mary's Hospital team undergoing pulse and blood pressure tests after a training session

The contestants participated in most of the sports at a normal Olympic Games, and were exercising on reclaimed ground near Grange Road.

The ‘miracle’ was that before each of them had undergone a kidney transplant the thought of taking part in sport was an unattainable dream.

The dream became a reality at Castle Field, Southsea, when 24 transplant teams from countries all over the world competed for gold, silver and bronze medals as the two-day Transplant Olympics got under way.

The first Transplant Olympics took place in Portsmouth in 1978 and was an international event.